


The Typically Unexpected

by YoungJusticeAddict



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Emma Dupain-Cheng - Freeform, Eventual Adrien is Chat Noir reveal, F/M, Insecure!Ladybug, Marinette is Ladybug reveal, Protective Chat Noir, University, drunk one night stand, mentions of naughtyness but not nsfw, sfw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-07-22 00:28:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7411198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YoungJusticeAddict/pseuds/YoungJusticeAddict
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been three years since Ladybug and Chat Noir were last seen gracing the parapets of Paris. The last they saw of each other was the night they were both accepted to the same university, and celebrated by dancing across rooftops and gallivanting through the lamp-lit streets in their skintight spandex. Their celebratory merriment ended with a intoxicated instant of built-up hormones and sexual tension on the roof of their soon-to-be educational venue. Embarrassed and struggling, Ladybug decided to leave the hero game for good. Now she has returned, and is ready to meet her fears head-first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Anamnesis

Every time she looked to the skies, those memories flashed across her vision softly; caressing her thoughts and spirit as they played through as an old film reel.

They were barely old enough to inhale as much as they had. The bartender almost didn't allow them access to the tart liquid, but a thick wad of green from the cat boy proved to be the push the barkeep needed. He passed them several mixed bottles in a small, plastic crate and waved them away. Ladybug and Chat Noir took them with delicacy and escaped the pub, giggling among themselves.

"I didn't know you carried that much money on you, Chaton," Ladybug announced, looking through their carry for something sweet.

Chat stood still and watched her pick through the lot, "Not normally, my Lady, but this was a very special occasion to be celebrated!" He gave her a soft smile, watching her bluebell eyes dance from label to label in the moonlight. "How weird is it that we went to the same school before, and now we will be going to a new school together?"

"I'd say fate was rooting for us," she pulled a long, green bottle from the bunch and examined it. "What will you be having, Monsieur?"

Setting down the crate, he took the bottle from Ladybug, "Champagne. Same as you, my Lady." Carefully popping it open, he gulped a long swig.

Several more pops later, they had passed their holding limit. Ladybug and Chat Noir, Paris' iconic heroes, were shitfaced drunk. They both had worked so hard in their civilian lives to earn a night off like this, but an uneasiness hung in the air around them. It grew considerably so when the lady in red swallowed her partner's lips in her own. It was a mess; the golden drinks from the gods spilling from their hands onto their heroic fabric, and twisting into every curve and ache in their bloodstream, absorbed through their inflamed pores. His noises of surprise were drowned out by the sounds of empty glass breaking on the brick beneath their feet. He took her in his arms, caressing the curves of her back and shoulders. This was all he'd ever wanted, and she really wanted him right now.

Coming back to the present, Marinette lowered her gaze to the statue before the building she was readying herself to enter. His stance was noble, proud. She mirrored him and took off for the double doors. A pale hand shot itself between her own and the handle of the aforementioned door. She followed its length back to it's owner.

His hair was longer than the last time she'd seen him. It had been the second week after their high-school graduation, at Nino's birthday party in their new flat just two blocks from where she and this familiar stranger currently stood. His green eyes glanced her over before speaking in that velvety-soft tone it seemed like he saved just for her, "Long time, Marinette."

Her heart hammered against her cardigan, "Yeah. H-Hi Adrien."

He smiled down at her, still amused by her nervousness around him. After all this time, he still contributed it to his celebrity status and good looks. Forever the oblivious, Adrien Agreste. "Where are you headed?"

Fumbling with the strap hanging from her shoulder, she looked down to her bag, peeking at the new schedule sticking out. "Painting for personal development. 200 building."

Adrien stepped back, opening the door to the student union, and gesturing for her to pass, "What a coincidence, so am I."

Her eyes widened out of his view as she was rushed inside. Cheeks burning red at the realization that she would once again be stuck sitting next to Adrien Agreste for an entire semester, suffering in silence.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. "This your first day?"

She shook her head, fighting down the blush. "No. I've been here for about a year already. You?"

He removed his hand and held the next door for her, "Not exactly. I was here the year after graduation. I must have left just before you showed up."

She raised an eyebrow, chancing a look up at him. He had grown noticeably taller in recent time as well. "Why did you leave?"

"Fashion stuff." He sighed, following in step next to her as they continued around the union's interior to the building on the other side. "Father wanted me around for photo shoots and ad campaigns since I don't look like a fifteen year old anymore. Tabloids want to stay updated." He sighed again, then smiled at his company, glad to be at school again. "It was just months of camera flashes and new outfits every five minutes. I can’t wait to just sit and read a book for once, even if it is a textbook."

A few moments of silence rang between them as they found their classroom and settled into seats. A thought quickly appeared in his mind and he blurted, "Wait, why weren't you here that first year?"

She froze solid in her chair next to him. That year wasn't something she really talked about with anyone who wasn't involved. It was the year nothing could escape her, and then it followed her around every morning with big emerald eyes.

He noticed her tense state and shifted uncomfortably. Was that a bad question to ask? It seemed innocent enough. He leaned over to apologize softly when the instructor began her lecture.

After class, he couldn't stop Marinette from leaving before he could talk. She ran from the room like he was an Akuma. Whatever happened during that year off was nothing good, Adrien decided.


	2. Adumbration

Marinette made her way home in record time, slamming the door behind her and leaning against it, catching her breath. They only lived two blocks away, but running in flats was incredibly painful and exhausting.

Setting down her bag, she looked to the hallway. Her best friend came barreling through with a baseball bat and missing a key piece of her wardrobe: pants. Marinette didn't even flinch at the sight of her roommate's naked lower-half, but the bat had her cowering. "It's just me, Alya!"

Huffing, she dropped her hands to her sides, the top of the bat skidding against the wooden floor boards. "Geez, girl! You scared the crap out of me. What are you doing home so soon?"

She walked closer to her friend, looking back at the door to make sure it was locked. "Alya, Adrien is back."

The brunette stood in shock before a large grin threatened to rip her face in half. "This is great! Finally we can double date." Cupping her hands around her mouth like a megaphone, she shouted, "HEY NINO."

Marinette shushed her friend, pulling her hands down from her face, "No no, Alya, please. I can't date Adrien right now. I'm not ready."

Nino made his appearance similarly to his girlfriend, but with the opposite garment missing. His caramel-coloured skin glowed in the afternoon light, distracting Alya for a moment.

Snapping back as her boyfriend gestured a silent question, she pumped up, "Adrien's back."

Marinette hung her head in shame as her plea fell on Alya's deaf ears. Making her way to the kitchen, she mixed together some powder and milk, shaking it in a small, plastic cylinder as her two roommates discussed her inevitable doom.

They continued talking about why Adrien never called his best pal to let him know he was still in town, let alone staying long enough to go back to school. Marinette left the room briefly and returned just as a knock on the door echoed through the apartment.

Panic rose in her chest. She knew it was Adrien and she wasn't ready. She just escaped him at school and now he had come here, to the one place baring her most well-kept secret: the squirming bundle in her arms.

The child of Chat Noir and Ladybug.

* * *

 

Adrien wondered if he had the right address. The wail behind the closed door made it seem as if he had gotten it wrong. Maybe the memory of his friend's flat had been warped in the months since he had last been here. Maybe they were on the next floor?

A pair of amber eyes cleared his worries when they manifested on the other side of the doorway. Nino. His best friend in the entire world. Even Ladybug, with all her perfection, could not earn that title. Adrien held out a hand to the topless DJ, who pulled him into a deep, loving hug. No words needed to be exchanged right now, this was enough.

As they parted, he saw Alya and Marinette turned away, facing some kind of mesh cage on the floor. Nino stepped aside, allowing his bud entry. His first thought was to ask about what had their attention, but after the fiasco with Marinette earlier, he didn't want to risk anything. Instead, he kept his attention on Nino. "Hey bud. How have you been?"

Nino clapped a hand on the model's back, "Been good, bro. How about you? When did you get back?"

"Last night." Adrien made his way to the bar stools and sat, Nino pulling up next to him. "Things have been alright. Tiring. I barely got any sleep last night before my first class this morning."

Nino glanced over his shoulder at the girls, who were making their way over, "Yeah. Mari said something about you being back at school."

Alya approached just in time to elbow Nino in the side, glancing over at Mari. "Hey babe, why don't you tell him about your new gig?"

Adrien glanced at Marinette as well until Alya spoke up. His attention turned to him in an instant. "Gig?"

Nino explained the last year of his crazy life to his old friend. From the moment Adrien left for his career, Nino had started thinking about his own. School with the girls just wasn't enough for him, it was boring and pointless, if he were honest. Nothing that he wanted to do involved a degree, so why waste his time?

He told Adrien of his struggle to find work as a university drop-out. Eventually he found this club on the other side of town willing to hire him on as a busboy. One night, he was blasting sick beats from his phone when he thought no one was around. It was his own track he played as he scrubbed tables and picked up barstools. The manager was in the back doing paperwork and overheard his work. He offered Nino a trial run, if he could do his old job as well as his new until the entire staff voted on him. They all voted in favor of him taking over the musical portion of the club, and filled his old job with a friend of his.

"Mari works with me, too." he finished. "She got my old job, but they are talking to her about a decor update, right Mari?"

When the conversation switched to her, she felt those green eyes on her immediately, staring holes straight through to her soul. Her face tinted a light shade of pink. "Y-Yeah. Nothing's final yet, though. I'm still looking through swatches."

Adrien stood, "Well, why don't you show me this place? It's captured two of my friends, so it must be worthwhile."

Marinette stiffened again, just as she had earlier in class. Her eyes darted to the mesh then back to Adrien. Alya was ready to announce that she had other things to do when Adrien turned around after Mari broke her gaze, "What is it?"

Green. He was greeted by large, bright, happy green eyes peeping over the padded bar attached to the mesh he saw earlier. It wasn't a cage, it was a playpen. He froze on the spot. Those were his mother's eyes. His eyes. His gaze dragged from her gorgeous irises to her thin, wispy, black hair that fell freely to her shoulders. The colour matched that of the stammering girl standing next to him. He looked between Marinette and the child before him. "What...?"

The question hung in the air, no one responding to it. The only sound was the wet gurgles made by the toddler on the other side of the room. Adrien took a step towards the child, but was stopped by Nino's words. "Don't ask, dude. It's not worth rehashing right now."

Marinette hung her head in guilt. She didn't want Adrien to find out this way. All this time she had been in love with him and he never knew it, then she slept with another man and the evidence was an adorably permanent reminder. She wanted to get to know him first, maybe confess her feelings, then bring him home to meet her little girl. This was not the way to start things.

Adrien was awestruck. There was no way this child could be his, right? The evidence stared him straight in the face, watching his every movement with raging curiosity. Curiosity of a cat, he thought to himself.

This was impossible. He had dated so many girls, but not Marinette. He's only ever slept with one girl in his entire life....

_Ladybug._

_That's_ why she left.

That's why she stopped being a hero. It was too dangerous.

Adrien turned back to Marinette, seeing her gaze locked on the floor. He put his hands on her shoulders and leaned down to catch her eye. When she looked at him with those bright, bluebelle eyes, he knew he had her. "She's beautiful, Marinette. Why didn't you tell me you had the cutest kid in all of Paris?"

Her eyes glistened and another blush crept up her neck to the apples of her cheeks. Opening her mouth, an indigent stutter escaped and she gave a small laugh at herself for thinking he would be anything but happy. He was good with kids, why wouldn't he be good with hers?

Alya spoke up, "It's a long story, Adrien. I'm don't think she's ready to talk about it yet. Why don't you all go to the club, and I'll stay here with Emma?"

 _Emma_ . So _that_ was her name. Adrien beamed, looking back to Nino, "You cool with that?"

Nino nodded, then looked to Marinette. "If you don't want to go, we can bring you guys back some dinner."

Marinette shook her head, "N-No. I'll go. They'll want to see the progress anyway." She escaped Adrien's grasp and darted to her room for her work.

Adrien looked at Nino, then Alya, whispering, "How old is she? Who's her dad?"

Ayla held up her hands, "Not telling. That's her story, dude. But I guess you can know her age. She's almost two."

Adrien looked past her for a moment, staring into the hallway Mari disappeared into. Two years old. It fits the time frame. Looking to Emma, he felt a sense of pride swell in his chest, as well as a feeling of protection. Yes, this little thing needed protecting. She needed a father to protect her, as well as a mother.

Marinette walked back into the room with a bag hanging from her shoulder. Adrien ignored her and fixated on Emma, walking up to her and lifting her gently from her enclosure. Marinette squeaked, not expecting the action.

He held Emma close, her cheek brushing his as she looked him over with immense curiosity. Just like her dad, he noted silently. He dared a glance at his friends and they were in varying states of shock. Confused, he raised a brow at them, "What?"

From where they stood, with Emma right next to him like that, it was glaringly obvious who gave her the other half of her genes. The nose, those eyes: they were all Adrien. Alya looked from the two of them back to Marinette several times, completely lost for words.

Nino piped up, "Well, we should get going." Knowing where the situation was headed, he offered a way out. "Let's go, Mari, Adrien. I'll bring you home something, babe." Taking Marinette's hand in his own, he lead her to the door.

Alya quickly scooped Emma up from Adrien's hold and held her close, not letting her see Mari leave. Adrien swore he got whiplash from how fast that conversation turned around. What did he do wrong?


	3. Alleged

Arriving at the club, no one said a word. The second the car stopped, Marinette made her way inside quickly to find the manager. Nino, on the other hand, welcomed her disappearance and put an arm around his friend as they walked. "I've gotta ask you something, bro."

Adrien frowned at her departure, then relaxed when Nino spoke, "Shoot."

His voice suddenly got very low, as if Marinette was in hearing distance and not some unknown location in the nightclub. "Did you sleep with Mari?"

Adrien stiffened, his face beginning to grow rosy, "No! I've never even kissed her, why do you ask?" He knew exactly why he asked, but played dumb.

"Cause you and Em's share features, bro." Nino said, suddenly worried. "Are you sure you didn't just blackout bang or something?"

Barely understanding his friend's terminology, Adrien replied, "Yes I'm sure. Maybe she just found someone who looks like me. There's no way. I never slept with her."

Nino nodded and removed his arm from Adrien's shoulder. A moment later, just before they reached the door, another bright thought crossed Adrien's mind and made it to his mouth without filter. "Wait, don't you know who Emma's dad is?"

Nino shook his head, "Yeah, but you'd never believe me if I told you."

After exploring the club, Adrien found Marinette with a taller, older man behind the bar. They were looking over her sketches and swatches.

His hair was a very dirty blond, almost brown in the wrong lighting. And when he looked up at the approaching men, Adrien swore he saw a reflection of his own green eyes in him. As Adrien got closer, the man put a hand on Marinette, low on her back in an intimate sort of protectiveness. This guy liked her, and Adrien nearly let the chat out of the bag.

Adrien ignored the manly-man bro exchange between Nino and his boss, instead choosing to focus on Marinette. He would have to remember later to freak out that his lady had been right under his nose this entire time, and that she had his kid and he was a dad now. That was going to be so much once the shock wore off.

Noticing his stare, Marinette blushed under his gaze. "Um y-yes?"

Adrien took that moment to place a hand over hers, "I don't understand why you're nervous, or what really happened that year you were gone, but it's okay, now. Everything's gonna be fine." He smiled down to her, causing her to smile in return, "And you've got a perfect kid to boot. I'd love to hang out with just the two of you one day."

"Y-Yeah." Her face glowed beet red and she quickly looked away, instead turning to Nino. "Hey Nino, what do you think of-of these ideas for the club?"

Adrien took the hint and removed his hand from hers, glad to have finally asked his lady on a date, along with his new little lady.

When darkness fell across Paris, Nino decided he was ready to go home. Picking up food for Alya, he turned to his mates. "All set?"

Marinette was still gathering up all of her papers, shoving them into her bag, "Yup."

Adrien leaned down to help just as the man from before came up to them. "Marinette. I need you to stay behind, there's a lot to discuss if we want to start renovating tomorrow."

There was something uneasy about this man now. He seemed to have a shorter temperament and a sense of urgency. It made Adrien tense.

Marinette nodded curtly, looking between Adrien and Nino, not making eye contact, "I'll catch a cab and meet you back home later."

Neither boy wanted to leave sweet, innocent Marinette with this creepy boss-man, but she really wanted to try her hand at interior design as well as clothing design. If they ruined this opportunity for her, she'd have nothing. But that didn't mean they had to leave.

Dragging Adrien along, Nino crept around to the back of the building. A high window gave them sights on Marinette and the manager in his private office, who Nino later told him was named Zack.

All seemed innocent to any outsider, but Adrien was watching this man closely. His eyes trailed where they shouldn't have and his hands slowly followed. One hand grabbed her waist and the other wrapped around her wrist, keeping her from stabbing him with the pen she held.

Nothing could be heard through the window, so Nino attempted lip reading. He was doing well until Marinette suddenly got furious, making the words much harder to read. Adrien's hair stood on end at the sight of Zack angering Marinette this much. He hadn't seen her act like this the entire time he'd known her, and that includes all the run-ins with Chloe. An animal sound escaped him and he readied for the pounce.

Nino put a firm hand on his friend's shoulder, "Dude, what the hell?"

Adrien shook his head, trying to focus. These primal protective instincts were coming on fast for having just met up with everyone again a few hours ago. "S-Sorry. Should we go help her?"

Nino retracted his hand and brought his attention back to the struggle inside. "No," he said flatly, "She can handle herself, trust me."

Playing dumb with Nino and everyone else was getting tedious. He hated coming off like an idiot when he knew for almost certain that Marinette was a famous superhero and could handle a lot more than an handsy boss. He decided to step away from the window, "This doesn't need to be happening. I can get her a job anywhere, and same goes to you. This guy isn't worth your time or talents."

Nino shook his head, "We both appreciate that, but I'm sure Marinette wouldn't want some hand-out. I would take your offer if I needed it, but Zack and I are cool. I had no idea he was this way to Mari. I don't even know how long this has been going on. I'm good with this job, but Marinette....she's the second hottest girl in all of Paris. Anywhere she goes, she'll be met with creeps like this, even if it's a cushy Agreste Fashion job.

"And no, that doesn't make his actions right just because she's pretty. I know that. But I also know she can stand up for herself, and her talents can take her far enough on her own. So let her get there." He finished, watching Marinette and Zack continue to argue.

Everything happened in an instant after that, and Adrien raised his head to look through the glass. Zack put his hand lower and lower, from her waist to her hip, and then to her rear. Marinette was quick with her defense, grabbing his hand and twisting his arm behind his back and putting her knee there, pushing him to the ground. While he was writhing in pain, she grabbed her bag and flipped over him in one fluid movement. 

She ran for the door, and the boys ran for the car. Starting it, the noise and headlights caught her attention. Adrien held the door for her and followed her into the backseat as Nino began to pull away from the curb.

* * *

 

They dropped off Adrien at his hotel and made their way home to share their story with the missing piece of their trio.

Once Alya had been told and calmed down, Marinette brought Emma into their room and laid with her on the bed. This kid slept like the dead and wouldn't wake for anything, something her mother was grateful for. 

Tikki fluttered down from her bookshelf and joined them on the bed, kissing Emma on the forehead. "Rough day?"

"The worst," Marinette rolled over, cradling her daughter between herself and a pillow-protected wall. "I just need to sleep. I'm not ready to talk about it, Tikki."

"That's alright." Tikki nuzzled herself between her charge and her newest, younger charge. "We have an eternity to talk, Marinette."


	4. Contrite

Adrien made his way up to his suite slowly, the events and revelations of the day weighing in on him.

He had just witnessed a sexual assault. His longtime partner, and the love of his life, is the girl he has pretty much ignored their whole academic relationship. Said girl was currently the mother of his child and the victim of assault. He, Adrien Agreste, was a dad. At 21, he was a father.

_ 21 years old. _

_ A father. _

_ A human being responsible for the health and safety of another, smaller, human being. _

_ Possibly. _

That word hung in his mind for the rest of the trek. Turning the knob and calling for Plagg, he decided that he deserved to know for sure whether or not Emma was his, and if Marinette was indeed Ladybug.

Transforming for the first time in years, Chat Noir galloped across the rooftops with a renewed sense of freedom. The wind in his hair and the sound of scraping metal from his baton and steel-toed boots sent a shiver down his spine. God, had he missed this. The open air, the weightlessness, the excitement; it was everything he needed right now. Why did he ever quit?

The thought struck him like a truck, stopping him on the roof of his school, his true destination just a bit away. He could see her light on still, even from here. She was the reason he quit. He didn't blame her, but he did regret it.

* * *

 

Soaring through the skies freely, Chat Noir hollered, expressing his happiness to the world. His lady had not called him in two months, actually since their drunken escapade, but now she wanted to meet for something important. He hoped it was for another night like the one they shared.

Four years as partners and he still couldn't help the way his heart skipped a beat whenever he saw her, be it civilian or hero. Landing on the rooftop behind her, he let a wide grin split his face. "Good morning, My Lady."

She had been hugging herself. Her arms were tucked close on the front of her body when she turned to greet him, "Good morning, Chaton."

Her smile was soft and inviting, and he found himself staring with his mind floating elsewhere. When she waved a hand in his face, he snapped back to the present, "S-Sorry, what?"

Ladybug sighed, and he feared he did something wrong. She looked down to the floor and repeated what she had said, "I'm leaving, Chat."

Chat Noir sputtered, eyes blowing wide at her revelation. "What?! Why?"

She shifted her weight between both feet as she spoke, her voice seeming smaller. "Something's come up. Something that will be a threat to our safety, a threat to our identities." She paused, and he waited patiently for her to continue, "It's not safe for me to be Ladybug right now, and I can't tell you why, because then the target on your back would increase exponentially. I won’t let that happen, Chat. I can't let you go down for my screw up." He was ready to protest, but she continued, "Let me protect you for once, okay? I promise everything will be fine, as long as I step away from the spots for a while.

"And this doesn't mean you can’t be you anymore, you will just be without a partner. I can't stand by your side anymore. It's just not safe. I'm sorry."

When she dared a glance up at him, she could see his heart broken in his eyes. Hundreds of shards, each a new shade of brilliant green creating a beautifully tragic masterpiece on his face. She reached for his cheek, but he turned away.

He took a few steps away from her, fighting the stinging tears behind his eyes. "We are partners. There is no me without you." He turned back to face her, his nose and cheeks turning red, "How dare you make that decision for me. Do you think I can't handle it? A threat to our identities is nothing compared to all the things we have faced together. And then, to not even tell me what that threat is? Do you not trust me enough to handle it? Do you trust me at all? We can face whatever this is together, bugaboo. Don't give up on me so easily!"

Shocked, Ladybug took a step back, closer to the edge of the building. Her lip quivered and her hands shook, "I-I'm sorry, Chat. It's not that I don't trust you. You could probably handle it, but I can't take the risk. I'm not ready for you to know me, yet. To know who I am on the other side of the mask. And I'm not ready to know you, either." Seeing her slowly fall apart ripped at his already sore insides, but they needed to get this out, "I can't be your Ladybug anymore. I'm sorry."

His fists clenched at his sides, holding onto his sanity for dear life, "What about our chosen duty? We were hand picked for this hero gig and you can't just walk away from that. And what about the Ladyblog? You'd put Alya out on the street like that? She would have nothing to report because you and I wouldn't be out saving people. You'd risk everyone else's safety to protect our identities. What about Hawkmoth? I can't purify Akumas, My Lady. That is a gift properly bestowed upon you."

Her entire body was shaking now. Never in their time together have they ever argued like this. She has never even seen Chat this angry. It froze her to the core. "Hawkmoth hasn't been around for months, Chaton. If he reappeared, I would be forced to return, obviously. Or...." she paused, unsure if this was the best option to present, "I could give my Miraculous back to Fu, and he can find someone much more suited to the task than me right now."

The cat strode up to his partner, fuming and fighting the urge to yell in her face, "If you aren't Ladybug....then I am not Chat Noir." He reached for his ring, fingers clasped around the band on his digit and ready to chuck the dumb piece of jewelry into the Seine. Ladybug put a hand over his and held it there.

Without any more they could possibly say to rectify the situation, Ladybug gave his hand a squeeze and stepped back off the edge of the roof, only to be seen a few seconds later swinging away by yo-yo; tears flying out behind her, following her like a sea of regret.


End file.
